Giardiasis

🩸 Giardiasis (giardiasis) is a disease caused by microscopic parasites Guardia. A protozoan invasion that occurs mainly with damage to the small intestine and is partially accompanied by allergic and neurological symptoms.
🩸 The source of infection for humans is a domestic animal with which they often come into contact: dogs, rabbits, cats and other animals. However, the first place as a source of invasion remains with humans.
🩸 Giardia enter the environment with stool in the form of cysts. Cyst excretion begins on the 9th - 22nd day after infection.
🩸 Infection factors - water, food, soil, hands. Mechanical vectors - insects and flies. Transmission mechanism: fecal-oral. Trophozoites (adult forms) survive in feces and in the external environment for up to 2 hours.
🩸 Acute symptoms include:
– diarrhea,
– bloating,
– fatty stool,
– stomach and abdominal cramps,
– stomach upset or nausea/vomiting,
– dehydration (acute fluid loss),
– as well as itchy skin, hives, swelling of the eyes and joints.
🩸 Giardiasis risk groups:
-Children in kindergartens, schools, children's camps, etc.,
-close contact with a sick person,
-owners of domestic pets,
-vacationers on the beaches,
-international tourists,
-persons who use improperly prepared water and food.
🩸 Diagnosis and detection. Since Giardia cysts are not excreted continuously, but periodically, it is advisable to take a stool sample three times on different days to increase the sensitivity of the test. The use of the concentration method and trichrome staining (microscopy) may be insufficient due to the variable concentration of Giardia in the sample. That is why for quantitative results it is recommended to use immunological methods of antigen research in stool using the express method and ELISA methods. These methods are more sensitive than microscopy.